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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Meyer opted to use a more classical approach: Gustav Holst's "The Planets" suite. The license fee (re-use fee), though, was extraordinary on the level that was required to manipulate the suite for use in an entire feature film. Disgruntled by the price, Meyer turned to the concept of using a regular composer for the job. Despite Jerry Goldsmith's success with the previous film (perhaps the only positive part of that production), Meyer insisted on a fresh new sound for Star Trek VI. He wasn't afraid to give a young, new composer a chance; after all, this was the same man who gave a little-known upstart named James Horner the opportunity to score Star Trek II. Horner's success had eliminated him as a possibility, too. Having rejected demo tapes from many possible composers, Meyer discovered Cliff Eidelman. More than any other, Eidelman had captured the darker essence that the film needed, and before he had even been hired for the position, Eidelman had produced a synthesized demo of the main title chorus. With the blessing of producer Leonard Nimoy, who was still being criticized for his handling of the score for Star Trek IV, the excited Eidelman was given the job. The score that Eidelman composed was rooted in the minor key, while still allowing for a certain amount of major key fanfare. The deep male chorus used to accentuate the warrior Klingon race opened the score in a creepy fashion that had never been considered for a previous Star Trek film. His repeated, six-note progression would represent the hint of a Klingon presence throughout the entire film, making the audience unnerved as to whether the newly enhanced, cloaked bird of prey was hiding nearby. The fanfare, maturing in the finale of the film, greets the typical launching of the Enterprise (proving that some things do indeed stay the same) and eventually sends the ship on its farewell at the end. The most interesting elements of the score result from Eidelman's preference for using non-western instruments. The middle section of the film, taking place in trial and at the penal colony, features an eclectic selection of instruments worked in by orchestrators Mark McKenzie and William Kidd in an attempt to futher the score from the drum-banging that had previously graced the likes of the Klingons. The "Battle for Peace" at the climax, as well as the final suite, combines all of these elements into fifteen minutes of incredible Trek music. Perhaps most impressive about Eidelman's effort is his strong collaboration with Meyer to make Star Trek VI not only the best film of the series, but also the best score (and, not to mention, the best movie poster). The music, in the end, was different enough to serve that purpose, but it didn't alienate the heritage from which it came. Bits of James Horner's Vulcan themes from the second and third films were interpolated, as is Courage's original television fanfare. The film itself was a sonic marvel, with sound effects that easily exceeded the previous films because of digital technology. Complimenting the stunning sounds are Eidelman's equally digital score. While its quality is crisp, the only restraint on the music was the lack of an even larger ensemble, or, at least, one that is mixed to sound even larger (as Goldsmith does). But because the original composition is so strong, it is an attractive piece for other orchestras to perform. The end title suite has been recorded and released by numerous European groups, and always to an impressive result. While Jerry Goldsmith has been immortalized has having brought the most, musically, to the Star Trek series, Eidelman's score for Star Trek VI remains the popular favorite of the entire series. Although the massive exposure led to some noteworthy, subsequent projects for Eidelman, he would never achieve the same notoriety in the decade. *****
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